Dance with me
by Misura
Summary: Seto cancels a date with Joey because he's too busy. Mokuba decides to do something about it. [SetoJoey]
1. First

Dance with me

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established), Mokuba, slight fluff, flirting, scenery sometimes changes at song-fragment. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Dance with me' belongs to Jennifer Lopez.

written at 12th september 2003, by Misura. part 1 of 4 [?]

**********

_//Too much is on your mind _

_Got to let it go//_

Seo Kaiba, envied billionaire and CEO of one of the biggest corporations of the country, checked the clock and knew it was going to be one of those nights again. 

Mokuba was not going to be pleased with him ; he had solemnly promised to try and keep from working too late just the other week. But he had no choice ; no one at Kaiba Corp knew as much about this project as he did. Surely his little brother would understand?

Worse was that he'd also have to tell Joey their date would have to be postponed. Briefly, he considered asking Mokuba to inform the blond, rather than having to do it himself. No matter how annoyed, Joey wouldn't blame Mokuba for something that wasn't his fault.

His pup was a hothead, but a fair one. In both senses of the word.

Seto wearily shook his head as he found his mind wandering from the subject at hand, to conjure images of the boy who had, against all odds, become almost as precious to him as Mokuba.

If he'd manage to keep a clear head, he might even catch an hour of sleep. If he was lucky and he'd be able to spot the problem soon enough. Seto sighed and set to work.

_//Can't worry all the time _

_Just let it flow//_

Joey critically eyed himself in the mirror. Two years ago, if anyone'd have suggested he might one day wear a suit to go on a date with Seto Kaiba, he'd have laughed in that person's face.

Now though the only matter spooking through his mind was which color to pick. In a way it was rather ironic ; Seto always commented on how Joey'd never change when he called him 'puppy' and 'mutt' and other names like that.

But when Joey looked back on who he was and who he had once been, he felt like nothing had remained the same, least of all himself. Not that he was complaining ...

Now, if only he'd be able to figure out which color to pick before Seto got home, things would be perfect. Downstairs, a phone started to ring. For a moment he hesitated if he should go to answer it, but then he heard Mokuba's footsteps, followed by a cheerful 'Hello?'.

Perhaps he should ask Mokuba's opinion in the suit-matter ; as Seto's little brother he ought to know which of them would be most to Seto's liking. Joey smiled, his imagination already on how the evening might turn out.

_//You say you need a break _

_There's nothing I can do _

_Sitting here listening to you// _

Mokuba pensively chewed on his pencil, frowning at a particularly nasty maths-problem. When the sound of the phone interrupted his concentration, he rose with a sigh.

Joey was upstairs, preparing for his date, which meant the blond would be occupied for at least another ten minutes with his outfit. Seto had really made a mistake when he'd given Joey two suits to wear rather than one, Mokuba reflected sourly.

"Hello?" He picked up the horn.

"Good evening, Mokuba." Seto's voice greeted him from the other end of the line, with just enough of a hint of forced carefreeness to it to raise his suspicions.

"This had better not be a call to cancel your date with Joey this evening because of your stupid work again!" Mokuba said sharply.

"Well ... "

"Seeetooo! You *promised*!" Mokuba whined. Not that he'd expected that would cause Seto to change his mind, but it felt satisfactory somehow.

"I'm very sorry. It's just that it's vital I correct this project as soon as possible. Would you inform Joey our date - "

"I don't think so, big brother." Mokuba interrupted him. "You can tell him yourself. Hang on."

Ignoring Seto's protests, Mokuba walked to the stairs.

_//Baby what's this you're telling me? _

_Things ain't been goin' your way//_

In spite of his attempts to do so, Joey couldn't quite catch more than a few words of the one-sided conversation downstairs. He wondered who it was that had called.

He hoped it wasn't Seto, that for once their date wouldn't be delayed or moved to another evening because of something 'unexpected' that had come up. The past few months he had grown sick and tired of that excuse.

Of course he'd known from the start that Seto, as the CEO from Kaiba Corp would be gone to office often, that he wouldn't be there whenever Joey wanted him to be, but still ...

"JOEY! Seto on the phone for you!" Mokuba sounded angry. A bad sign.

With a sigh, he went downstairs. The scowl on Mokuba's face did little to reassure him either.

"Seto?" As soon as he had accepted the horn, Mokuba walked away, back to whatever he had been doing before. Joey wondered if it was to give him some privacy.

"Joey ... " Seto sounded tired. Tired but determined.

_//Just take it from me _

_It's gonna be alright//_

"Damn that stupid, stubborn idiot!" He had managed to keep his voice down until he'd reached his room again. No use in upsetting Mokuba after all ; it wasn't *his* fault he had such an annoying brother.

With an angry snarl he tossed the two suits in a corner where they landed in a crumpled heap. It felt satisfying somehow, to be the cause of something messy in the ever-spotless Kaiba-mansion.

Seto had been very calm and reasonable ; an unexpected serie of faults, a project vital to the future success of Kaiba Corp, apologies for cancelling their date, but surely Joey would understand he had no choice ...

Joey'd mumbled that yes, of course he understood. What else could he do? Yelling he didn't wouldn't solve anything. Though it would have made him feel better ... for a while at least. He'd done so the first few times, but afterwards there'd always been a sense of guilt.

If it wasn't for Seto's hard work, he wouldn't be able to live in this house. He'd be stuck with a father who wasn't aware of having a son half the time, in some run-down apartment ...

A soft knock on his door brought him back to the present.

_//So let's go out tonight _

_And we can leave all our cares behind//_

"Hey." Mokuba managed a smile as the door to Joey's room was swung open.

"Mokuba ... " Joey sounded somewhere in between anger and hurt. So ... he hadn't been able to change Seto's mind either. Not that he'd expected Joey would, but he'd hoped that maybe ...

Couldn't Seto see what his obsession with Kaiba Corp was doing to his lover? To their relationship, which had nearly been reduced to a quick peck on the cheek at breakfast, on the good days when Seto was actually home in the morning?

Shaking off his own dark thoughts, Mokuba threw Joey a mischievous grin. He'd just have to make Seto see some sense then. With Joey's aid.

"Want to come and shake up big brother's routine a little?"

He had worked on this plan for weeks now. It was perfect. It couldn't possibly fail. Now, if only Joey'd agree to it ...

_//Dance the night away _

_Party till the sun comes up//_

Seto tiredly rubbed his temples as he tried to concentrate on the numbers and codes that flashed past on his computer-screen. He felt a headache coming up.

Perhaps he should just call it a day, go home, make up to Joey ... get some sleep.

The project could wait, really. When he was honest with himself, next week would be a fine time to finish it. Some people would complain about it of course, but what would he care?

Right now, the two people he cared about most were annoyed with him, he knew. Wasn't their opinion much more important to him than that of some customer who ought to be grateful he allowed him to use Kaiba Corp's program anyway?

"No."

If he started doing this, there'd be no turning back ; they'd only expect more of him, more time he couldn't work on his projects. They knew he loved them, that should be enough.

That would be enough. Both for them and for him.

~tbc~


	2. Second

Dance with me

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established), Mokuba, slight fluff, flirting, scenery sometimes change at song-fragment. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Dance with me' belongs to Jennifer Lopez.

written at 19th september 2003, by Misura. part 2 of 4 [?]

**********

Joey didn't have to think long about Mokuba's proposal.

"Sounds good to me." In fact, he was pretty sure it would work. This evening was beginning to look up again. Now, if only Seto would cooperate ...

_//Go grab a friend, _

_Get on the floor//_

"Is anyone but my brother still inside?" Mokuba smiled angelically at the security officer who was eyeing Joey with a hint of suspicion, but seemed a lot more trusting towards Mokuba.

She briefly checked some schedules and shook her head. "No, sir."

"Wonderful." Joey grinned, stepping forwards. A quick glance from Mokuba and a glare from the woman behind the desk stopped him. "What?"

"This is a limited access area, mister ... Wheeler." The officer's voice was cold. "I can't just let you walk in there. Not without the proper clearance."

He opened his mouth to tell her he'd go see his lover whenever he felt like it, and what she could do with her 'proper clearance', but Mokuba quickly shook his head.

Oh. He'd forgotten. Officially, Seto Kaiba was still single.

"I need him to help me with a little surprise for Seto." Mokuba explained, using the full force of his innocent eyes. "To have him relax a little."

_//Come on _

_And dance,//_

The officer bit her lip. "Well, I don't know." 

"Please? We won't be long." Mokuba pleaded, while Joey watched in admiration. No wonder he never got anywhere when he tried to get Seto to do something ; after years of exposure to Mokuba, the guy was probably immune to anyone else.

"I guess it's okay then. If he's with you ... " Her hand wandered to the button that would unlock the door to the offices.

"Thanks! You're great!" Mokuba glomped her. For a moment, Joey was sure the woman would melt there and then. Slighlty dazed she pushed the appropriate button and wished them good luck. Mokuba smiled some more as he bounced through the door.

Joey quickly followed. "Do you know where Seto's room is?"

"Of course I do. Don't you?" Mokuba scoffed. "Hasn't Seto ever taken you here?"

"Uhm, no."

_//Dance, _

_Dance with me _

_DJ if you please//_

"Well, there are a couple of things we should do first, before you can make your grand entrance." Mokuba considered. "First, we'll need to put some romantic music on. Second, there's the dinner to take care of and thirdly, you'll have to get dressed."

Joey blinked. "What's wrong with what I wear right now?"

"Where do I start?" Mokuba rolled his eyes. "We're trying to make this look like a date, remember? The date the two of you were supposed to have, to be precise. Which means you're going to be in suit."

"Ah."

"I've already picked one for you. The green one. Seto loves seeing you in that color." Mokuba explained quickly. "Now, we're going to put this CD on the intercom, to create the proper mood. Seto'll suspect we're up to something right away of course, but he's probably not going to do anything about it. If only because he's too tired."

"Okay ... uhm, how do I do this?" Joey had managed to get the CD in the right slot -at least, he hoped so- but further than that, he had no idea of what to do.

"Third button from the right. And make sure the volume's not too loud. And that it's on."

_//Nobody's on the wall _

_That's what I like//_

Seto sat up blinking as a familiar tune began to play, wondering what idiot was playing with the intercom system. Normally, he'd assume it was Mokuba, but why on earth would his little brother put *that* on?

"It's time to du-du-duel!" A voice sang. Seto considered putting the speakers off, before the sound died down on its own.

Probably security had caught up on the situation and was now dragging the person responsible away. Still, that didn't mean he'd forgive them for allowing it to happen in the first place.

Ah well, he'd think about a suitable punishment for them later. There was still a project to be finished, preferrably before tomorrow morning.

*****

"Er, oops?" Mokuba grinned sheepishly as he handed Joey another disk. "Must've swapped the labels or something. This one should be the right one."

"I certainly hope so." Joey growled. "I want to seduce him, not duel him."

"It's all a game." Mokuba shrugged philosophically. 

_//Come closer to me now _

_And hold me tight//_

The music started again, a calmer and soothing sound this time. Seto found himself relaxing into it before he was even aware of what he was doing. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

His eyes drifted close, snapping open again when he heard the door to his office softly creak open to feast on the figure who had just entered.

The lights in his room were low, yet Joey's blond hair seemed to glow like spun gold nonetheless.

The green of his suit brought out the color of both his lover's locks and eyes, just like he had pictured it to be when he had ordered it.

For a second, Seto was sure he was dreaming, that he had fallen asleep behind his computer. It wouldn't be the first time. In a few more moments, he'd wake up. Alone.

"Seto."

Was it possible to hear a voice that familiar in your dreams?

_//Tell me just how _

_You're feeling right now _

_Are you really having a good time?//_

Seto was giving him the oddest look when he slowly walked over to the CEO's desk. Like he wasn't quite sure if Joey was for real. 

Well, he supposed that was better than being yelled at to get out of here right now and stop distracting Seto from his precious project. He only hoped it would last.

"Joey."

Seto's voice was hoarse, containing a hint of something close to desperation. Joey allowed himself a small smile when he stalked closer. It seemed Mokuba had picked just the perfect time for this little escapade.

"I've missed you these past weeks." He tried not to pout or whine, but it was hard to keep the frustration out of his voice, not to sound accusing.

"I ... " Seto rose, walking over to him, touching him as if to convince himself Joey was real. "I have been busy." His eyes were clearing again, growing colder. 

"I know." Joey breathed. "But you shouldn't - " overwork? No, that would only prompt a furious denial and a scowl. Something else then. " - ignore me."

_//Baby what's this you're telling me? _

_Things ain't been going your way//_

Seto's gaze softened again. "I try not to." It wasn't quite an apology, not quite an admission of guilt, of being at fault. But it was the closest he'd get.

"I know." He'd accept the apology. On a condition, of course. "So I thought I'd surprise you."

~tbc~

Extra disclaimer : No, I also don't own the YuGiOh-intro which Mokuba put on accidentally.


	3. Third

Dance with me

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established), Mokuba, slight fluff, flirting. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Dance with me' belongs to Jennifer Lopez.

written at 21st september 2003, by Misura. part 3 of 4 [?]

Thanks to the people who reviewed the second chapter :

To Rei Akita : One week soon enough? I hope so. ^_^

To hieiandkuramalover : Hehe, they are, aren't they? Especially Mokuba ... ^_^;

To Suppis Tenshi : Uhm, actually it's kind of half-way ^^; ... Glad you like it! ^_^

To Kaira-chan : Mokuba's a little genius *nods*. The 'receptionist' ... well, she's just doing her job, making sure Seto doesn't get kidnapped or anything. Glad to hear I could brighten your day a little! ^_^

To DarkShadowFlame : I'm glad to hear the way I wrote him makes you go ^_^ rather than -_- ! :)

To Dark Queen of Roses : Thank you!

To Mel Gods : Thank you very much! As to your question ...

Mokuba : Hehehe, guess who hacked into the security system his big brother designed to make sure two certain lovebirds get some privacy? ^_^

To o*Fire Mage*o : Don't worry ; they're going to be all right. Read and find out! :)

To Smarty1 : I did, I will. :)

To Kiawna : Mokuba and Joey agree with you. Now, to change Seto's opinion ... ;)

To RainOwl : I aim for one week ... :)

To Xiaolang's Ying Fa : *sputters* He's not a bastard! He's just ... all of those other things you called him. ^^; Glad to hear it made you laugh! ^_^

To QueenV : Oh yes, he's *dangerous*. Fortunately he's on the good side. ^_^; Thank you very much! ^_^

To Rowan and Sakura : Yes, well, Yami'd be a bit hard-pressed to get through Kaiba Corp's security I think. And it's in the evening. And Mokuba [removed for spoiling contents]. Thank you!

To Star Light Shadow : Hope you enjoyed your vacation! And this next chapter too, of course. ^_^; Thanks!

To DarkOpalDragon : Glad to hear you think so! ^_^

**********

"Oh, you definitely succeeded in surprising me." Seto replied, softly brushing some blond bangs out of Joey's face. "Puppy."

Joey growled. "Don't call me names."

"Try and stop me, if you can." Seto challenged.

_//Just take it from me _

_It's gonna be alright//_

Mokuba whistled contentedly as he threw some cut vegetables in a pan. It was not unusual for employees of Kaiba Corp to stay late, so the building had several kitchen units to save Security the trouble of having to deal with delivery-boys all the time.

Cold pizzas weren't boosting anyone's productiveness after all.

He had also switched off the camera in Seto's office, to make sure no one would be able to see what was going on in there. The last thing he wanted was for some gossip-channel to get its hands on such a tape and broadcast it.

Anyone checking on the CEO of Kaiba Corp would just see Seto, sitting behind his computer working, like dozens of nights before. Which was correct, since this wasn't exactly the first time he'd used this particular tape. 

Stirring the vegetables around and adding some more, Mokuba checked the cooking-book for further instructions. He'd picked one of the easiest recipes, figuring neither Joey nor Seto would mind much. If they'd even taste the food.

After ten more minutes, he decided dinner was ready. Praying he wouldn't interrupt anything unsuitable for his virgin eyes, he put two plates, knifes, forks and spoons on the tray with the meal and headed for Seto's office.

_//So let's go out tonight _

_And we can leave all our cares behind//_

Kissing Seto until they were both breathless, Joey concluded, was a highly enjoyable as well as effective way to shut his lover up.

"I missed you." No matter how weird it sounded to say that to a person who lived in the same house as he did, whom he generally saw at breakfast and sometimes at dinner. It was true.

"Am I expected to say I missed you too?" Seto inquired. "Because I didn't." His voice was soft and teasing as his hands wandered over Joey's body, pressing the blond closer. "Not at all."

"Knew you'd say that." Joey grinned, shaking his head sadly. "You're such a cold fish, Seto. I have no idea why I don't go looking for someone better."

"Hmm, let me remind you." Expert fingers started unbuttoning his shirt. Joey reflected things were definitely proceeding according to his hopes, when he remembered something.

Or rather : someone. "Seto, stop it!" Panicking, he swatted Seto's hands away, redoing his clothes while Seto stared at him in a mixture of annoyance and stunned disbelief.

"What do you think you're doing? Walking in here looking like that and then ... then ... " Seto seemed to choke on the words. Joey blushed crimson, wondering how he was going to be able to save the evening.

_//Dance the night away _

_Party till the sun comes up//_

"Dinner's ready!" Mokuba announced cheerfully as he strode in, not bothering to knock. Judging from the looks on Seto's and Joey's faces, things hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped.

He wondered when these two would ever learn to get along. Somehow they seemed to spend as much time fighting and bickering as they did kissing, snuggling and making up. Life in one house with the two of them certainly was never boring, but at times he wished they'd just get along quietly.

There was such a thing as too much excitement. 

With a grand gesture he swept the contents of Seto's desk aside to make room for the plates and food. Seto grunted softly, but that was all, so he'd probably not messed up anything important.

A couple of candles completed the transformation from a perfectly normal desk to a romantic dining table for two. Lighting them, he ordered Seto and Joey to sit down. Which they did, slightly to his amazement.

"Now, behave and enjoy the evening!" He softly closed the door behind him as he left, barely able to suppress a yawn. Seto wasn't the only one suffering from too little rest due to his work, it seemed. Still, tonight he should be able to do some catching up.

Unlike Seto, if all went well. Mokuba grinned, silently wishing Joey luck.

_//Go grab a friend, _

_Get on the floor//_

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Seto cleared his throat, looking faintly embarrassed.

"Shall we, then?" He placed a hand on the lid of the big dish containing whatever Mokuba had cooked up for dinner.

"Yeah, might as well. Would be a shame to let it go cold I suppose."

They exchanged a smile.

"You know, green really suits you." Seto remarked. "You should wear it more often. I like the way it brings out the color of your eyes."

"And what color is that?" Joey questioned, capturing Seto's gaze with his own.

"It's hard to put it to words exactly." Seto mused. "It's like sunlight, bright and clear, like honey, sweet and pure, like amber, precious and ... " He shrugged. "It's you."

"Are you making me blush by intent?" Joey informed, his mouth gone dry. It wasn't like Seto to get so romantic in his phrasings or even to praise him at all. Not out of bed anyway.

_//Come on _

_And dance,//_

"Would I do something like that?" Seto smirked.

"Why, yes, I think you would." Joey replied with a grin.

Seto laughed softly. Joey wondered if Mokuba had been right when he'd said the music would help to put Seto in the right mood ; it did seem the most logical explanation for his lover's unusually teasing behavior. Whatever the reason though, he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip. He'd thank Mokuba later.

"Well, you *are* pretty cute when you're blushing. Pup."

Joey was sure his cheeks were on fire now. Which was probably precisely what Seto had wanted to accomplish with his words.

"Mokuba picked the suit for me." he said, both to change the subject so that his face could go back to normal -no matter how 'cute' it might look in its current state- and to remind Seto of the other person he'd been neglecting for his work lately. He owed the kid after all.

"Ah." Seto nodded. "I was wondering about that. I assume he was also responsible for the music?"

_//Dance, _

_Dance with me _

_DJ if you please// _

"Uhm, yes. Including that little mistake of putting on Dueling music." 

Seto snorted. "He's a genius, but not faultless."

"He's a lot like you then." Joey dared. "You're human too, Seto. You can't work all the time."

"Believe me, I am fully aware of that fact." Seto sighed. 

"It doesn't show sometimes." Joey said softly.

"Let's go eat." Seto finally uncovered the dish, the cloud of steam rising proving the food at least hadn't gone cold yet. Two pairs of eyes stared down at the green-with-red mass that was revealed thus, neither of them too eager to try and taste it.

"A genius, but not in the kitchen." Joey murmured, hoping Seto wouldn't take offense.

"No." Seto agreed. "Though at least this time it's not black. He's improving."

"That's something I suppose." 

_//Just let yourself go _

_Dance on the floor//_

Two phonecalls (one to the delivery-service and one to Security) and fifteen minutes later, the scent of pizza filled Seto's office. It might not be the height of romance, but it was edible, it was cheap and it was Joey's favorite.

Besides, Seto enjoyed licking tomato-sauce of off Joey's face almost as much as making him blush, and Joey enjoyed having Seto doing it, and Mokuba was blissfully unaware of the fate of his hard work, so on the whole everybody was happy with this state of affairs.

~tbc~

A/N : *sighs* I wonder why I made this a songfic. The story's just not getting along with the lyrics so far. Sorry.


	4. Fourth

Dance with me

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established), Mokuba, slight fluff, flirting. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Dance with me' belongs to Jennifer Lopez.

written at 26th september 2003, by Misura. part 4 of 5 [?]

Thanks to the people who reviewed the fourth chapter :

To Psychotic Kitten : Proud to hear you like it! ^_^

To Rei Akita : Thank you! :)

To Rowan and Sakura : Well, the song definitely inspired me. Plus, it's the background-music that Mokuba turned up. Only they're still not dancing ... _ Thanks for the encouragement! ^_^

To phwee? yami hobo : ^_^ Thank you!

To hieiandkuramalover : Hehe, I can't cook either. Well, nothing more complicated than from-can-in-pan meals anyway. Ah well, nothing wrong with pizza for dinner, is there? ^_^; Thank you!

To Kaira-chan : Glad to hear you don't mind me giving Mokuba a small flaw. ^^; Hmm, Mondays are your bad days? They *are* five whole days away from the weekend after all ... 

To Marikzgal4eva : Thank you! The lyrics belong to Jennifer Lopez, as mentioned in the disclaimer on top of every chapter. :)

To Dark Queen of Roses : *faints* ^^;;;;; 

To Smarty1 : ^^; Yes, well, it's Joey's favorite!

To Mel Gods : ^^; Don't miss too much sleep on my humble writing's behalf! Mokuba has learnt to cook by a cookbook, so he may improve in time. I did too, after a few years. ^^;

To Suppis Tenshi : ^_^ Well, Seto has been staring at numbers and letters a little too long to be very clear-headed anymore. Though Joey's presence seems to bring him back to life ... ^^;

To Star Light Shadow : The song's latin-style ; playful, a little sensual and catchy. I could listen to it for hours ... ^^; The blob disappeared into the trashcan, packed in a plastic bag. ^_^;

To DarkShadowFlame : Yes, even the cutest chibi-bishie isn't perfect. But ah well, as long as everyone's happy ... Thank you very much ; glad to hear you like the fluff. ^_^

To DarkOpalDragon : Thank you! :-)

To KC : ^^; I try to update once a week. Thanks for the encouragement. :)

To Xiaolang's Ying Fa : *blushes* Thank you very much. Details, well, I'm not sure. I'll try. ^^; 

To Gangsta Videl : Yes, I think so too. ^^;

**********

"Are you full or should I order another one?" Seto asked, after all of the tomato-sauce on Joey's face had been lovingly removed.

Joey pouted. "I didn't eat a single slice more than you did."

"No, three or four is more like it." Seto rolled his eyes. "Really, pup. I was just asking if you were still hungry. No need to feel insulted."

"Oh." He'd be damned if he apologized for this. "No thanks."

_//Nobody's stopping you _

_Do what you wanna do//_

"So ... " Seto's voice trailed off, uncertain of how to proceed. He couldn't just kick Joey out now, to continue working on his project, of which the importance had become a bit vague too currently.

"So." Joey echoed, seemingly having the same problem. He hadn't come here just for dinner, but he couldn't simply say something along the lines of 'Shall we try making out in your office now?'. Though it might be fun to see if he could make his lover blush for once.

"What were you working on?" A neutral, polite question. His interest wasn't quite fake either ; some of the things Seto had developped the past few years were quite useful for duelists.

Which Joey still was, even if he grudgingly acknowledged he'd never beat Seto and his Blue Eyes without some kind of advantage, like double life-points to start with.

"Nothing important." He'd have said 'Something too complicated to explain to you', which would be closer to the truth, but that would probably get Joey angry again.

"You could come home for a break then." An accusation in the tone of a plea.

"I have a deadline to meet." He wondered sometimes why Joey never really pushed him, never demanded him to pay some more attention to him or else ... Had their positions been reversed, he was sure he'd have done something like that long ago.

_//Let the music take control _

_You can feel it in your soul//_

"I thought you were the big boss." Joey seemed surprised. 

Seto shrugged. "We've promised the public we'd launch this product next week. It'd make a bad impression if we didn't keep that promise."

"Ah." Joey nodded. Seto could almost hear the gears in his head turn, trying to find a way to steer this conversation in the direction Joey wanted it to go.

For the first time, Seto heard the words of the song that was playing. Hiding a smile he rose, making a bow for Joey who stared at him astonished. 

"Shall we dance?" He held out his hand.

Joey's mouth opened and closed, like a fish on the dry. Then he nodded, placing his hand in Seto's. "Who's going to lead? We're both guys, remember?"

The CEO smirked. "I am, of course. Did you honestly expect anything else?"

Joey sighed, willingly allowing Seto's arms to pull him closer. "No, not really. Control-freak."

"That's a new one." Seto remarked idly, softly humming along with the music and dragging Joey along with the rhythm.

_//Come on _

_And move your body to the groove//_

"It's true. You always want to do things *your* way." Joey replied testily. He wasn't very good at dancing, especially not when he had to play the role of the girl.

Shizuka had forced him to practice with her, in the past happy days when they'd still been one family, in one home. There had hardly been any nice guys on the dancing-lessons. Which was a good thing really, since it meant he hadn't have to beat anyone up for looking at his sister the wrong way.

Somehow sensing Joey's changed mood, Seto pressed their bodies closer in a silent offering of comfort. "Are you complaining, love?"

He could say 'yes' and then maybe Seto'd try to change. Maybe. "No."

The last word registered in his mind, causing blood to run to his head again. The sound of Seto's soft laugh told him the other had noticed it as well.

"Do I call you that so rarely it makes you blush?" An apology in the disguise of a question.

_//Up in the club, out on the floor _

_Move to the beat// _

"It's okay. Neither of us is the romantic type." Joey tried to picture Seto being romantic and failed utterly. Besides, didn't he like Seto for caring about him without treating him like he was made of porcelain? For treating him almost like an equal?

"No?" Seto had bended his head. Warm breath tickled Joey's ear. "You don't call any of this 'romantic'? The candles, the dinner, the music ... not romantic?"

"All right, so maybe I am. A little. Sometimes." Joey admitted. "But ... "

"Mokuba arranged most of this of course." Seto grinned at him, slightly pulling away. Joey followed, grudgingly. "So maybe he's the true romantic of us three."

"He's contagious." Joey huffed.

"But you like it." Seto pointed out, not adding 'And so do I'. They both knew he meant that too though. Even if he'd never admit it.

"I like being close to you." Joey emphasized his statement by pressing a bit closer still and allowing his hands to slip a little lower, to Seto's waist. "That's all."

"Of course." Seto murmured, slowly moving his own hands as well. No need to add the 'not'.

_//Dancing with me _

_DJ, DJ, play my music,//_

He didn't know if the song had changed while they were slowly moving around the office like this, their bodies pressed so close their clothing had become an unwanted barrier, keeping them from closer contact. 

The voice that was singing still belonged to a woman, but that didn't mean anything. After another slow round, Seto decided he didn't care, that it wasn't important.

All that mattered was Joey and how good it felt to have his arms around the blond's waist, to feel that silken soft hair brush past his cheeks, to have those honey-colored eyes gaze into his with nothing but simple love.

Grimacing at that train of thoughts -definitely, utterly, hopelessly romantic- Seto looked around for some place they might sit down. It might sound illogical, but after a day of sitting, he got tired pretty soon when he had to stay on his feet too long. 

Having Joey lean on him rather than support him didn't help much either. For the first time, Seto missed a nice, comfortable couch in his office. He had never considered one necessary for the comforts of his visitors ... which meant he only had himself to blame now.

Seto made a mental note to do something about it soon. Not that it would help them now, but perhaps, if he gave the right feedback to Mokuba, this situation would occur again some day.

_//Dance the night away// _

"Is something wrong?" Joey asked, blinking lazily as if he'd just awoken from a dream. At least, Seto hoped the blond hadn't really been sleeping.

True, it was awfully late, but still ... was his company that boring? That unstimulating?

"My feet hurt." Seto informed him.

Joey flushed guiltily. "Sorry. I should've told you I'm no good at dancing."

Blinking, Seto wondered what *that* was supposed to mean. Ten seconds later, he got his answer as Joey firmly placed his right foot on Seto's left one.

"S'rry."

It seemed he'd been too lost in his thoughts to notice his lover's lack of dancing-skills. Now that he *had* noticed though ...

"Ouch."

"Sorry."

_//Just let yourself go _

_Dance on the floor//_

"How about we sit down for a while?" Seto proposed, preferring not to speculate too much on how black and blue his feet were, exactly.

"Hmmm, okay." Joey made no move to disengage himself from Seto though, and Seto couldn't bring himself to remove the arms around his waist. So he simply moved his weight to lean a little more on his partner and tried to ignore the feet that landed on his own with a frightening frequency. 

Perhaps he should ask Shizuka to drag her brother along to dancing-class some more. Or Anzu, who was, after all, practicing to become a professional. Or maybe a casual hint to Mokuba would suffice ; if his little brother could learn how to dance and ride a car by using some computer-program, surely Joey could do the same?

~tbc~


	5. Fifth

Dance with me

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey (established), Mokuba, slight fluff, flirting. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Dance with me' belongs to Jennifer Lopez.

written at 28th september 2003, by Misura. part 5 of 5

Thanks to the people who reviewed the fourth chapter :

To Psychotic Kitten : Thank you! ^_^

To hieiandkuramalover : *grins* Thanks! Enjoyed writing it too.

To Rosemarryann Starcrest : Wow, thanks! I'll do my best. ^_^

To Kaira-chan : Hmm, sorry if I got carried away in obscure phrasings a little. The line you quoted is supposed to mean something like : "Do I call you 'love' so few times that hearing it from me makes you blush?". ^_^; I just didn't think Kaiba's the kind of person to make love-declarations very often.

To Rei Akita : You said the magical word ... :)

To Suppis Tenshi : Thank you! ^_^

To Rowan and Sakura : Shrek? Hmmm, I think I saw the commercials for it yes. Not sure about the movie itself ... -_-; Thank you! :)

To Jenniyah : Glad yo hear you liked it! :)

To KC : o.O; Uhm, I updated *every* week this far. That's ... pretty good, right? *looks a little scared*

Mokuba : Hey! I arranged a candle-lit dinner and privacy for them! What's so perverted about that?!?

To s.h.i.r.o.i.k.e.t.s.u.e.k.i (Azumi and Kaze) : Well, in this story he is. ^^; You get dancing lessons at school? That's ... cool! ^_^

To Kumorimisora : Ooooh, chocolates! Sankyuu! ^_^

To Kiawna : Hmmm, isn't DDR about how to hit targets with your feet fast and hard? Not sure if that would really make Kaiba's feet feel any better. ^^; Thank you!

To Star Light Shadow : Call Kaiba Corp for more information on their virtual pods and tutoring programs. If you can find their number ... ^^; Thank you!

To Mel Gods : Well, the song's never been a single. That's probably why I still like it so much. It's on the same CD as 'Play', 'Love don't cost a thing', 'I'm real', 'Ain't it funny' and 'I'm gonna be all right', if those titles mean anything to you. ^^; Considering 8 hours of sleep is perfect, you're doing pretty well I think. :)

To Smarty1 : Ah, but he has got Joey to make up for it, ne? :)

To Shinigami709 : Yes, Seto is a little bit shy when it comes to romance, ne? I like writing him like that. Glad you like reading it too. :)

To DarkOpalDragon : ^_^ Thank you!

To DarkShadowFlame : Hm, maybe. Though I'm not sure if Joey'd be any good at that either. He might just make matters worse ... besides, Seto probably wants his hands and attention somewhere else. ^_^;

[!] : This chapter contains hints at sex.

**********

Joey knew he should follow Seto's suggestion, get the weight off their both their feet for a while. The problem was that he had no idea where to do that ; to say Seto's office was sparsely furnitured would be a massive understatement.

There was the desk, which still contained the remainders of their dinner. 

There were two chairs, one for Seto himself, one for anyone important enough to warrant a seat.

Aside from that, there wasn't much else, except of course for the computer. 

_//Nobody's stopping you _

_Do what you wanna do//_

"Isn't there something a bit more comfortable than a chair around here?" he whispered.

Seto shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes. "I'm afraid not. This once, Mokuba seems to have missed something in his set-up."

"Like it's *his* fault, *you*'re such a frugal kind of person when it comes to making your office more comfortable." Joey snorted.

"This is a place to work ; it's not supposed to be comfortable." Seto replied. 

"How like you to say that." Joey sighed. "Can't you just go a little more easy on yourself? There's nothing wrong with a bit of comfort, you know. Take your own house, for instance. Mokuba and me hardly have to do anything to keep it clean and in order."

"The mansion's for Mokuba." Joey didn't snap back Mokuba would want his brother to be comfortable as well, or that Mokuba'd like a normal house just as well. They both knew that.

"Isn't there something we could sleep on somewhere else in this building?" Joey asked.

"Not without getting seen by the security cameras." Seto shrugged as Joey winced. "It's the price of being famous and rich. I won't say I like it, but ... "

_//Let the music take control _

_You can feel it in your soul//_

"Never mind, I didn't come here to sleep anyway." Joey whispered, noticing Seto was leaning on him more heavily than before and feeling oddly touched. "Though we could go home if you want, back to our own bed."

"A tempting proposal." Seto murmured. "I see only one disadvantage."

"What?" Joey asked.

"We're here, and the bed's there." Seto replied.

"That could be fixed. It's not that far." Joey pointed out.

"True." Seto admitted, resting his head on Joey's shoulder, beyond caring who was supposed to lead in this dance.

"We could be there in half an hour. Less even. There's probably not that much traffic at this time of night." Joey continued.

"Hmm, hmm." Seto's entire body seemed to have lost its will to move, lying in Joey's arms. He wondered if Seto would just fall over if he'd let go. Not that he'd do that of course.

_//Come on _

_And move your body to the groove//_

"Seto? You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" He was answered by a soft snore.

"I don't believe this." He wondered what Security would think if he'd carry their sleeping employer out of the building. Would they try to stop him, on suspicion of kidnapping?

Did he want to find out?

A glance at his watch told him it was a few minutes past midnight ; a good five hours of sleep for Seto if he'd manage to get him home without waking him. Because there was no way he'd be able to keep holding him up like this and there wasn't anything to lay Seto down on here, except the cold, hard floor.

"Let's try this. And pray they won't shoot me at sight."

Cradling Seto's body against his chest, Joey nudged the door to his office to open it, praying he'd be able to find the way back to the entrance. They were on the eighth floor, he thought. So his first step ought to be finding an elevator.

Slumped in a chair in the corridor, Mokuba sat as soundly asleep as his brother. Joey shook his head. Some people were much too stubborn for their own good.

And what was he to do now? Wake the kid up? The alternative would be leaving him, which wasn't an option really. Seto'd kill him if he found out.

_//Dance the night away _

_Party till the sun comes up//_

"Joey ... " Before Joey had puzzled out how to solve his dilemma, Mokuba had solved it for him, by spontaneously opening his eyes. Or maybe the sound of the door opening had woken him up. Mokuba was a light sleeper. Like Seto, though tonight he didn't look like it.

"I thought he'd be better off sleeping in a proper bed." Joey explained, nodding at the body in his arms. Mokuba grinned and nodded, jumping up.

"Let's go then ; I'll talk to Security." Mokuba's steps were certain. Joey wondered how he could always be so energetic, considering how often he found the kid up late at night worrying about his big brother or just having lost track of time when playing some computer-game.

"Glad to hear it." Joey mumbled, his own exhaustion beginning to kick in.

Mokuba flashed him a grin. "They'd probably have shot you if you'd tried to walk out with Seto like that, you know. They're very protective."

"Normally that would be reassuring information." 

Mokuba giggled. "I was just joking. Their weapons are strictly meant to stun. You'd have felt horrible for a couple of hours after, but nothing worse."

"You really know how to make people feel better, don't you?"

_//Go grab a friend, _

_Get on the floor//_

"Mokuba ... you're scary." 

Security had been like wax in Mokuba's little hands, bowing and saying 'yes, sir' and coming up with a blanket to wrap around Seto.

"Yes, I know. So you'd better make sure you do whatever I want you to do, don't you?" Mokuba smiled innocently over his shoulder.

"Manipulative little brat." Joey grumbled, mustering enough strength for an answering smile to take the sting out of his words.

"That's what Seto always says." Mokuba agreed easily. "He ought to know, after all this time. Not that knowing it helps him any of course."

Joey rolled his eyes, too tired to come up with a witty reply to that. "Kaibas."

"Not really, considering we're adopted and all that." Mokuba quipped.

"Brothers then." Joey amended. "Give me a break, will you? I'm tired."

"Sure." Mokuba threw him a mischievous grin. "Does that mean I can drive?"

_//Come on _

_And dance,//_

"There we are ; you can put him down here." Mokuba guided Joey to the bed, suppressing a snicker as the blond nearly stumbled over a set of slippers. The blond seemed half-asleep as well.

"I think it's okay if you sleep here too." Pulling the blankets aside, he gently shoved Joey onto the bed, hoping his body would get the hint if his mind was too far gone. 

Stealing a last look at the couple on the bed, Mokuba softly closed the door behind him with a whispered 'Good night' that probably went unheard, before going to his own bed.

His mind quickly departing to the land of dreams, Mokuba's last thought was that maybe he and Joey could convince Seto to spend a little less time working now that he had fallen asleep on his lover like this, not even waking up during the trip home.

Or at least Joey should be able to keep him in bed a little longer the coming morning.

_//Dance, _

_Dance with me _

_DJ if you please// _

[next morning]

"My back hurts."

"Why are you looking so accusing at me?"

"It's your fault. If I hadn't had to carry you, I'd be just fine."

"You're whining. My feet are black and blue, but do you hear me complaining?"

"Yes, right now."

"I wasn't complaining, I was simply stating a fact."

"Well, so was I. My back *really* hurts."

"I'm not sure if I can walk."

"Why would you want to?"

"Because it's seven in the morning and I need to get to work?"

"Why don't you give them some rest, do something that doesn't require walking?"

"Any suggestions? Of course, it can't be something that involves you straining your back either."

"What I have in mind won't require me to do anything more than lie on my back. Does that sound good enough for you?"

"Not too bad. Though I do expect a little bit more active participation from you."

*****

Downstairs, Mokuba happily spooned up his breakfast and punched in the phone-number for Kaiba Corp to tell them his brother would be a bit late for work today.

~OWARI~


End file.
